John K. Aggrey, a PhD student at LSU’s Department of Sociology, was awarded the 2018 Bill Anderson Fund (BAF) Fellowship, which provides annual workshops and opportunities to interact with communities impacted
by natural disasters. John studies infectious diseases from a Medical Sociology and
a Science and Technology (STS) perspective. He brings this perspective to his research
in Sociology of Disaster where he explores the health hazards marginalized communities
are exposed to in the wake of disasters and natural hazards and researching ways by
which this can be mitigated.

The BAF Fellows are interdisciplinary PhD students from across the country in the
fields of hazards of disaster research. The program has a large professional development
component offering webinars, a mentorship program, as well as, research opportunities.
BAF fellows receive funding to attend three annual workshops.

The William Averette Anderson Fund is dedicated to the work done by and the legacy
of William Anderson, a scholar, researcher and policy maker, who passed away in 2013.
It is founded on the importance of African-American and other minority representation
in hazard and disaster mitigation Research has shown that racial and ethnic minorities
often have increased difficulty evacuating prior to a crisis and are more likely to
experience disproportionate physical and financial loss during disasters. The Fund’s
focus now is on students who are already enrolled in graduate school.